Someone on Craigslist also posted about another new coffee shop in SJ: Bellano Coffee (3985 Stevens Creek Blvd, between Saratoga Ave and Lawrence Expressway) that they claim is approaching Barefoot quality as well...

Bellano is only 1.5 miles from Barefoot. So I headed over there next and they were pulling shots using Sweetness, my favorite blend at Barefoot. The barista was just certified and pulled this very nice double Sweetness ristretto on a GB5. The shots I had at eMocha and Bellano were very good but this shot at Barefoot was the best. Not really fair comparing since each have a different flavor profile, but that is a good thing and keeps drinking different espressos interesting. Barefoot, Bellano and eMocha all pour very good shots and are highly recommended.

I visited Barefoot today and then drove down to Bellano. I agree with Gary -- Bellano does a very nice espresso. Bellano is beautifully decorated. Their interior and all of their equipment is all brand new with gentle music playing. Free wi-fi, too, according to the sign on the door. And as Gary said, they have a beautiful Synesso machine.

I visited Barefoot today and then drove down to Bellano. I agree with Gary -- Bellano does a very nice espresso. Bellano is beautifully decorated. Their interior and all of their equipment is all brand new with gentle music playing. Free wi-fi, too, according to the sign on the door. And as Gary said, they have a beautiful Synesso machine.

Thanks for letting us know! I live in Half Moon Bay, but work in Cupertino. There are Starbuck's all over (blech) and Coffee Societys, (wireless is iffy at best and the baristas are inconsistent) so I'm very happy to hear about this new place. I will definitely be checking it out, probably tomorrow.

The Bellano Paladino shots were a lot better. Satura opened in Los Altos in January 2006 (lower left shot) and in Palo Alto July 2006 (lower right shot). Decent shot with some complexity but not worth going back to Satura for.

I've visited Zoka in Seattle in 2002, 2003 and 2004. In those days I had to drive 800 miles to get a good shot. Look how much variation I there is in these double Paladino shots. I remember the 2002 ristretto which was real nice.

You are right. I went back to eMocha, had these two shots, and I agree Barefoot is better. Thing is that it doesn't really matter. These shots were very good with very nice complexity and I left eMocha very pleased to have had these good ristrettos.

eMocha is across the street form San Jose City Hall which has this amazing glass dome. Lots of people in suits who work there go to eMocha. Currently eMocha does not sell Blue Bottle beans.

Symbols: = New Posts since your last visit = No New Posts since last visit = Newest post

Forum Rules:No profanity, illegal acts or personal attacks will be tolerated in these discussion boards.No commercial posting of any nature will be tolerated; only private sales by private individuals, in the "Buy and Sell" forum.No SEO style postings will be tolerated. SEO related posts will result in immediate ban from CoffeeGeek.No cross posting allowed - do not post your topic to more than one forum, nor repost a topic to the same forum.Who Can Read The Forum? Anyone can read posts in these discussion boards.Who Can Post New Topics? Any registered CoffeeGeek member can post new topics.Who Can Post Replies? Any registered CoffeeGeek member can post replies.Can Photos be posted? Anyone can post photos in their new topics or replies.Who can change or delete posts? Any CoffeeGeek member can edit their own posts. Only moderators can delete posts.Probationary Period: If you are a new signup for CoffeeGeek, you cannot promote, endorse, criticise or otherwise post an unsolicited endorsement for any company, product or service in your first five postings.